Guard for barbed-wire fences



(No Model.)

M. B. OHAPPELL. GUARD-FOR BARBED WIRE. FENCES.

No.401g138. Patented Apr. 9, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MERRITT BRO\VN CI-IAPPELL, OF BATTLE CREEK, IOYVA.

GUARD FOR BARBED-WIRE FENCES.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 401,133, dated April 9,1889. Application filed July 3, 1888. Serial No. 278,887. (No model.)

To to whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MERRITT BROWN CHAP- PELL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Battle Creek, in the county of Ida and State ofIowa, have invented new and useful Improvements in Guards forBarbed-\Vire Fences, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in guards for barbed-wire fences;and it consists in a certain novel construction and arrangement ofdevices, fully set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed out inthe claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of acattle-guard embodying my improvements, showing the same suspended froma barbed wire. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the improved guard. Fig. 3is a transverse sectional view of the same.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the guard, which is of suitablelength and width, and is T-shaped in'transverse section. The guard iscomposed of a pair of slats, B C, arranged perpendicular to each other,the slat 0 being secured to the lower edge of the slat B and extendingbeyond the opposite sides of the latter slat to form flanges c c, asshown in the drawings.

I have found that it is more economical to make these guards of wood;but other materials may be used in their manufacture, if preferred.

I) represents a suspending-link, which is made from a single piece ofwire, bent to form a small hook, E, at its lower end, which engages atransverse opening, F, in the center of the slat B. The upper end of thelink is bent to form a closed hook, G, which is adapted to engage theupper wire of a barbedwire fence, to suspend the guard therefrom, and isprovided with the outwardly curved or flared extremity g, to facilitatethe engagement of the hook with the wire.

The guard should preferably be painted some appropriate color which willattract the eye and at the same time preserve the guard from the actionof the elements.

A guard thus constructed is adapted to swing from the topmost wire of abarbed-wire fence, and a suitable number of the said guards beingemployed, the same will render the fence distinctly visible to animalsto persons and prevent them from inguring themselves by coming incontact with the wire. The shape of the guards is such that a maximumarea is at all times presented to view, and also to the wind, wherebythe guards will be kept in almost perpetual motion, and will hence berendered remarkably conspicuous. A further advantage in suspending theguards loosely, as described, and of light material and small size, isthat in heavy winds the strain on the fence is not so great.Furthermore, confined animals are liable to rub against and bite thefence or the guards thereon; but when the guards are suspended looselythey are not so easily grasped or injured.

The herein-described suspending-link is simple, is easily andeffectively applied to the wire of the fence, and maybe cheaplymanufactured. Y

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. A guard. T-shaped intransverse section and adapted to be suspended from the fencewire,substantially as described.

2. The guard comprising the slat B, the slat C, secured to the loweredge thereof and projecting beyond opposite sides of the same, and thelink pivotally connected to the guard and adapted to be engaged with thefencewire, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

MERRITT BROWN CHAPPELL.

Witnesses:

WALTER T. SMITH, HENRY N. CHAPPELL.

